Britain must ensure it is free to cut a trade deal with the US in its Brexit agreement with the EU, President Donald Trump said in an interview on Monday. Trump said he had told British Prime Minister Theresa May that london must get a “carve out” in whatever arrangement is struck with Brussels, so that a “great trade deal” could be struck.
May is facing a rebellion by Brexit hardliners against her proposals to retain strong trading ties with the European Union even after Britain leaves the bloc. Trump, who is spending the last day of a four-day visit to Britain at his luxury Turnberry golf resort in southwest Scotland ahead of a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on Sunday, also revealed details of his meeting with Queen Elizabeth II, saying she thought Brexit was a “very complex problem”. In an interview with the Daily Mail newspaper, Trump said Britain and the United States should be able to strike a “great trade deal” — if the final Brexit agreement leaves london free to do so.
“We would make a great deal with the United Kingdom because they have product that we like,” Trump said.
“I said (to May): ‘Make sure you have a carve out, you have to have a carve out’ — where no matter what happens they have the right to make a deal with the United States.
“You can’t be shut out because we’re much bigger than the European Union, we’re more important from that standpoint.” Trump met May at the prime minister’s Chequers country retreat for talks on Friday before meeting Queen Elizabeth for tea at Windsor Castle.